Programmable Biomaterials Laboratory, Institute of Materials, School of Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland.
Interfaculty Bioengineering Institute, School of Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland.
Nano Lett. 2024 Sep 11;24(36):11210-11216. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c02564. Epub 2024 Jul 26.
Lipids and nucleic acids are two of the most abundant components of our cells, and both molecules are widely used as engineering materials for nanoparticles. Here, we present a systematic study of how hydrophobic modifications can be employed to modulate the DNA/lipid interface. Using a series of DNA anchors with increasing hydrophobicity, we quantified the capacity to immobilize double-stranded (ds) DNA to lipid membranes in the liquid phase. Contrary to electrostatic effects, hydrophobic anchors are shown to be phase-independent if sufficiently hydrophobic. For weak anchors, the overall hydrophobicity can be enhanced following the concept of multivalency. Finally, we demonstrate that structural flexibility and anchor orientation overrule the effect of multivalency, emphasizing the need for careful scaffold design if strong interfaces are desired. Together, our findings guide the design of tailored DNA/membrane interfaces, laying the groundwork for advancements in biomaterials, drug delivery vehicles, and synthetic membrane mimics for biomedical research and nanomedicine.
脂质和核酸是我们细胞中最丰富的两种成分，这两种分子都被广泛用作纳米粒子的工程材料。在这里，我们系统地研究了如何利用疏水性修饰来调节 DNA/脂质界面。我们使用一系列疏水性逐渐增加的 DNA 接头，定量研究了在液相中将双链 DNA（dsDNA）固定到脂质膜上的能力。与静电效应相反，如果疏水性足够强，疏水性接头是与相无关的。对于弱接头，可以根据多价结合的概念增强整体疏水性。最后，我们证明了结构的灵活性和接头的方向会超过多价结合的影响，这强调了如果需要强界面，就需要仔细设计支架。总的来说，我们的发现为定制 DNA/膜界面的设计提供了指导，为生物材料、药物输送载体以及用于生物医学研究和纳米医学的合成膜模拟物的发展奠定了基础。
